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Seeing is believing for one area doctor
October 6, 2025
One sunny afternoon, I found myself in a conference room with the leadership team of a manufacturing company we’ve been partnering with.
We were halfway through a team development session, diving into insights from a detailed behavioral science assessment designed to measure each person’s clarity around their role.
As I looked at the results, the findings were not unexpected, but they definitely gave me pause.
Looking around the room, I saw bright, capable and deeply committed professionals.
These weren’t people who were disengaged or unwilling to contribute.
The issue wasn’t effort – it was clarity.
I’ve seen it hundreds of times – low role clarity can be a quiet performance killer in organizations.
It’s a stealth killer.
It’s not understood and rarely talked about.
It just slowly undermines execution, drains energy and keeps good team members from becoming great.
Lower role clarity can lead to inefficiency, confusion, missed responsibilities, burnout, disengagement, lack of accountability and poor performance.
As we wrapped up the session with the manufacturing company, the director of operations said: “You know, I’ve been feeling like I’m always busy, but I’m never sure if I’m doing the right things.”
Exactly.
That sense of constant activity without focus is one of the biggest indicators of low role clarity.
And in today’s world, where work is more complex, change is constant and people are stretched thin, that feeling is becoming more common – even for top performers.
But here’s the good news: the fix is not complicated.
In fact, it’s one of the simplest and most powerful shifts any leader or individual can make.
The power of clarity
To help gain clarity and focus in a role, it can help to identify not just the tasks being performed but the core accountabilities – the fundamental reasons each role exists.
These accountabilities can be grouped into key categories, each with a clear, purpose-driven statement.
Once defined, they can be prioritized and assigned an estimated percentage of time that should be dedicated to each over a typical week or month.
This approach can help create a practical framework for aligning time and energy with what matters most.
After reviewing the core accountabilities with the manufacturing company’s director of operations, it all started to click.
Clarity led to focus, and focus led to confidence.
I’ve seen this exact scenario play out in small- to medium-sized businesses in every industry – especially in manufacturing, where larger teams often add complexity.
Skilled and well-intentioned individuals often end up focusing their limited time on the wrong priorities – simply because we haven’t clearly defined what matters most.
When you know what you’re accountable for – and how much time each area deserves – everything changes.
Leaders stop reacting and start leading.
Employees begin to align their actions with their outcomes.
Everyone feels more in control and more fulfilled.
Clear roles, clear results
When every team member clearly understands their priorities and how to focus their time, the organization is set up to perform at its best.
According to Deloitte, employees with high role clarity are 53% more efficient and 27% more likely to stick with their organization.
Regular monthly one-on-one meetings that review progress on key accountabilities often boost both job performance and job satisfaction.
Based on reviewing thousands of behavioral science assessments a year, our firm has seen a marked drop in role clarity across nearly every industry.
It’s not surprising.
The world is more chaotic, the pace is faster and companies are evolving constantly.
But even in the chaos, role clarity is possible.
Here’s where to begin:
- Write down the reasons a role exists (not just tasks)
- Group similar reasons together into four to six categories
- Write a key accountability statement for each group
- Rank them in order of importance
- Assign a time percentage to each, reflecting how much of the week should go to each area
Then, at the end of the week, reflect on where time actually went.
Were employees aligned with their priorities?
If not, what needs to change?
What should employees delegate, drop or do more of?
When people go through this process, it’s like a light bulb turns on.
You can see it in how they sit up straighter, hear it in the renewed confidence in their voice.
Confusion gives way to clarity, hesitation is replaced by ownership and what was once exhaustion becomes energy.
You’ve probably met people like this – people who seem centered, focused and fulfilled.
Often, that’s not because they’re working less, but because they are working on the right things – they have clarity.
Imagine an organization where everyone knows their priorities, owns their outcomes and spends their time accordingly.
Leaders have the opportunity to give that clarity to their team.
It’s more than effective performance management – it can be a true competitive advantage.
Clarity has the power to transform not only the way a team works, but the way they feel about the work they do.
When leaders take the time to define priorities – starting with their own – they set the foundation for a culture where people thrive, collaboration grows and progress follows naturally.
